Early Second War Brit Softskins
 

Some years ago Gilles Chartrand gave me a number of over-sized photos. The following four images are from that collection and are here for your enjoyment and identification. The era is 1939-40, BEF in France.
Clive

Photo 1
http://www.servicepub.com/images/img_9322.jpg

Photo 2
http://www.servicepub.com/images/img_9321.jpg

Photo 3
http://www.servicepub.com/images/img_9320a.jpg

Photo 4
http://www.servicepub.com/images/img_9320.jpg

Re: Brit softskins - user unit ID
 

Clive;

Photo # 1 - the vehicles belong to the 2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards, 1st Guards Brigade, 1st Division, BEF

Photo # 4 - the lead vehicle belongs to Divisional Signals, 1st Division, BEF

Cheers

Pic 2. This confounds the old army adage of "if it moves salute it; if it doesn't, paint it!".
Pic 3. I bet they weren't smiling at the end of the following May.

Pic 4. Are those three vehicles between the trees 10/12 cwt Bedfords?

Thanks for posting these Clive. I like the first picture in particular; a mix of 8cwt Morris PU's and 15cwt Morris CS8's. The one on the left "MC 8104" seems to be a very early one with Civvy style bumper and early rounded engine covers as well as old pattern fenders.

Alex

Mark,

Agree re the unit IDs.

Makes me wonder how many of the poor blighters in the images made it back to England.

Is that a large square of 'Paint, Gas Detecting' on the rear of each bonnet?

Nice pics, Clive.

Mike C

Gas detecting paint
 

Seems likely. It is generally reckoned that this stuff was supposed to be painted in no particular shape or pattern, but within view of the driver, but I guess that would be anathema to the Guards!

Incidentally, in 1939 pics one can usually differentiate the PUs from the 15 cwts by the windscreens - PUs had a proper windscreen; 15cwts had aero screens. But photo #1 seems to suggest that at least a few of the CS8s had proper screens.

Chris

My first thought exactly, but after a closer look all the ones with full windscreen show the antenna mount behind the cab, another tell-tale sign of the PU Wireless. All PU's seem to show the lower style windscreen; seen on early (?) PU's.

Alex